The WBC has officially ordered a re-broadcast between Lester Martinez and WBC Tus-Tussen Super Middleweight Champion Christian Mbilli after the two struggled in the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas last Saturday, September 13, to get a 12-round draw.
Mbilli (29-0-1, 24 costs) and Martinez (19-0-1, 16 COs) waged war on the bottom of Canelo Alvarez against Terence Crawford. Christian pinned Martinez the whole fight to the ropes, and landed the battle to the head and body.
The problem with the push
Lester moved a lot and did shoulder, which the referee ignored. Without it, there is a good chance that Mbilli would have won because he was constantly pushed hard. Move is allowed, but not to the extent that it becomes excessive as Martinez does. Excessive move is considered an error in box. This referee ignored it.
The scores
- 95-95
- 97-93: Martinez
- 96-94: Milli
The Mbilli-Martinez fight stole the performance of the head game, making it pale in comparison. The battle showed the difference between two younger fighters in their lead and two outdated, both on the wrong side of 30, and no longer what they once were. Mbilli and Martinez both showed that they would have been more suitable in the main event, against Canelo or Crawford.
Statistics and Analysis
- Christian Mbilli: 273 strokes of 787 for 35%
- Lester Martinez: 412 of 980 for 42%
Mbilli would have thrown more bumps, but he is regularly shaken by Martinez. This forced Mbilli to walk through Lester’s shots to get back in. It was a flush-and-repeat process throughout the night. Mbilli would come in, land fast-fire combinations, and then be moved hard by Martinez.
Many fans would prefer that the WBC has ordered the newly crowned undisputed champion Terence Crawford to defend against Mbilli as he is the interim champion and is compulsory for that belt. Earlier this year, Mbilli became WBC compulsory when he knocked out Maciej Sulecki in the first round on June 27.
Martinez is an excellent option to challenge the title, but he is friends with Crawford. It is therefore doubtful whether he will agree to fight against him if the WBC ordered the two to fight.
Last updated on 09/17/2025
